If there’s enough intergroup tension and angst that they get in fistfights amongst themselves, readers may start to wonder why the members stick around (particularly if they have a normal, contented life to return to).

When Betty's stomach grew and her thin ankles swelled, she and Tom abandoned their fast dances for slow tunes where they held each other with an intentness and devotion that blinded them to our inebriated ruckus, the crash of mugs dropped from clumsy fingers, the last call fistfights that had the rest of us clambering onto our seats for a better view.

When Betty's stomach grew and her thin ankles swelled, she and Tom abandoned their fast dances for slow tunes where they held each other with an intentness and devotion that blinded them to our inebriated ruckus, the crash of mugs dropped from clumsy fingers, the last call fistfights that had the rest of us clambering onto our seats for a better view.

"The events leading up to this past weekend were the culmination of childish fistfights, meaningless exchanging of words, wasted court proceedings, and even more seriously, a stabbing incident in which I am convinced Mr. Reed was intent on ending my life," said the Cunnyngham's son, David.